A year after Marshawn Kneeland’s death, the Dallas Cowboys are still finding ways to honor their former teammate. Dak Prescott and other players have spoken about the loss and the importance of checking on one another. But on the anniversary of his death, it was Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, who shared the most personal reminder of the life he left behind.

In an emotional Instagram post on Friday, Mancera reflected on a year without the Cowboys defensive end and the challenge of raising their son, Makhai, without him. She said she still thinks about the everyday moments they should have shared, including watching their favorite shows together.

“More than anything, I wish you could’ve met our son,” Mancera wrote later in the caption. “Makhai is everything we ever wanted and more, and he looks so much like you. I know God did that intentionally.”

She added that the hardest part was knowing the moments Kneeland and their son would never get to experience together. While she had the chance to love him and make memories with him, Makhai would have to learn about his father through the stories she tells.

“I never imagined raising our little boy without you, but I promise he’ll know exactly who his dad was, how much you loved him, and the kind of person you were,” she wrote. “A part of you will always live on through him.”

Mancera also thanked those who had supported her family over the past year. She said she would keep speaking about Kneeland because she never wanted people to forget him or the impact he had on those around him.

The Cowboys marked the anniversary by remembering Kneeland and introducing Huddle 94, a player-led initiative named after his jersey number. The program brings players together in smaller groups to discuss personal struggles and pressures away from the field. It adds another layer to the mental-health resources already available to the team.

Prescott said the conversations might have given Kneeland another resource had they existed during his time in Dallas.

“[It’s] allowing us to create conversations and get together in smaller groups that talk about life and talk about things that are stressors to us,” Prescott said. “If it were something that we had, it may have helped Marshawn. It may have been something that would have been a resource for him to prevent what happened.”

The quarterback also spoke about how much Kneeland is missed around the organization. He said he remembers his former teammate in his prayers whenever he steps onto the field.

Other Cowboys players shared similar thoughts. Guard Tyler Smith said he wished the team had talked more openly about mental health and asked teammates how they were doing beyond football. CeeDee Lamb also pointed out how athletes are often viewed as public figures rather than people dealing with their own struggles.

Kneeland passed away on November 6, 2025, at age 24. He was found in Frisco, Texas, after a police pursuit. In July 2026, the Boston University CTE Center diagnosed him with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy posthumously.

The Cowboys also established the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund to support Mancera and their child. A year later, his teammates are still carrying his memory with them, while his family faces a future he was meant to share.